Within the Celestial Realm of Thunder, upon countless fragmented continents, lay the ruins of ancient Immortal abodes, riddled with forgotten enchantments and perilous wards.

To trespass upon the fall of Immortals was no simple feat.

Though the Realm had opened its gates countless times over eons, certain areas remained sealed by enchantments yet unbroken. Such wards often held power beyond mortal comprehension, some being places where no cultivator dared tread.

“Brother Xu, observe!” boomed Li Yuan, kneeling upon a shard of land where the soil ran black as pitch. He sifted the earth through his fingers. “The enchantment here is a textbook example of the Eight Immortal Laws, the Fourth Rite specifically. It contorts the surrounding environment to confound the senses!”

Beside him, Wang Lin’s gaze pierced the gloom. “If I am not mistaken, beyond this broken ward lies an Immortal Palace.” He paused, nodding. “You suspect the earth itself is the key?”

Their fragmented continent was not large; a bleak expanse of black earth beneath a sky choked with shadow, devoid of lightning, yet echoing with the muffled thunder of distant storms.

Within a ten-thousand-mile radius, they stood alone, engulfed by a sense of desolate abandonment.

Li Yuan chuckled, pleased. “Your perception of enchantments is truly admirable, Brother Xu. For the past half-moon, I need only speak a word, and you perceive the heart of the matter.” He gathered a handful of the black soil into a holding sack. “Take some of this enchanted earth for yourself. Once we leave the Realm of Thunder, detached from its wards, the soil may undergo a transformation. If it does, then once we are returned to the Li Clan, it may serve as material for the crafting of an enchantment compass.”

“I am in your debt, Brother Li,” Wang Lin said with a slight smile, gathering the soil as suggested.

“Nay, I am indebted to you! Without you, Li Yuan would be long dead, and I would never have been freed from the slave mark,” Li Yuan said with heartfelt sincerity.

A half-moon past, upon awakening, the initial confusion had gradually dissipated, replaced by a torrent of memories. He recalled the horrors enacted under the control of the slave mark’s lingering spirit, a recollection that left him shaken to his core.

Understanding dawned, and gratitude towards Wang Lin bloomed in his heart. Without hesitation, he shared all his knowledge of enchantments with Wang Lin, holding nothing back in his attempt to repay the debt.

“Once we are home, I will take you to the Ancestral Shrine, to pay homage to our forebears and impart to you the secrets of the Shattering Enchantment, as recompense for your great kindness!” Li Yuan declared, his eyes clear and resolute.

Wang Lin stepped back slightly, bowing to Li Yuan, his own gaze hardening.

The Shattering Enchantment, one of the Four Great Ancient Enchantments. Over the past weeks, Li Yuan had revealed much, explaining that this enchantment was not merely a technique but a form of mystic art, distinct from but equal to Immortal Arts! To master it, one required the sacred grounds of inheritance, and the Li Clan was the only remaining lineage in all the world to possess the true knowledge.

“Alas, this Fourth Rite of Immortal enchantment is incomplete, shattered long ago by crude hands!” Li Yuan muttered, gazing at the ground. He pressed a finger to his brow, drawing forth a wisp of black energy that coalesced into a rune upon his fingertip. He slammed his hand onto the ground.

“Shatter!” he uttered, the ground quivering. Centered upon Li Yuan’s finger, the soil rippled outwards like waves, and in an instant, the surroundings shattered, like shards of a broken mirror, revealing an Immortal mountain with a temple nestled upon its slopes.

The mountain was not tall, but it was marred with scars, as if countless Immortal herbs had been plucked from its flanks, leaving only common trees swaying forlornly in the wind.

The temple, though majestic in form, was dilapidated and forlorn. “Just as I surmised,” Li Yuan sighed, turning to Wang Lin.

Wang Lin smiled faintly. “Your skill with enchantments is indeed impressive, Brother Li. In the past half-moon, you have identified every ward we’ve encountered, though most have been plundered already. But should we continue at this pace, we may yet discover an untouched Immortal abode!”

“Each of the Four Great Ancient Enchantments, when mastered, grants immense power, able to seal all beneath the Heavens, from Immortal to demon, to mortal beast! The Eighteen Plum Blossom Enchantments, which are known to the wider world, sprang forth from the Shattering Enchantment,” Li Yuan said, his voice brimming with confidence.

“With such power, the Shattering Enchantment must be coveted throughout the Luo Tian Starfield,” Wang Lin observed, glancing at Li Yuan.

Li Yuan nodded ruefully. “I confess, in the years that my clan suffered under the slave mark, the Shattering Enchantment was passed beyond our lineage seven times! Each time, we were forced to, compelled by circumstance.”

He paused, meeting Wang Lin’s gaze. “Though they learned the words and were permitted to meditate in the ancestral halls, they were not granted the heart-seal, and thus never mastered the true Shattering Enchantment! Only the lineage head may inherit and impart the heart-seal. Upon our return from the Realm of Thunder, I shall divide my own and bestow half of it upon you, within the Ancestral Shrine!”

Wang Lin contemplated the offer, then bowed deeply once more to Li Yuan.

Li Yuan waved a hand dismissively, about to speak, when he suddenly stilled, his gaze fixed intently upon the temple on the mountain.

“Brother Xu, look there!”

Wang Lin followed his friend’s gaze. The temple appeared broken and unremarkable, but the longer he looked, the more he discerned.

“The tree behind the temple… only the left side stirs. The right remains motionless!” Wang Lin observed.

Li Yuan gasped, turning to Wang Lin. “Even without the Shattering Enchantment, your observational skills surpass those of many great masters of wards.”

Wang Lin smiled. “It seems our luck may finally be turning.”

Li Yuan laughed heartily, and together they ascended the mountain, landing swiftly before the temple. Up close, Wang Lin immediately sensed a chilling aura emanating from the unmoving side of the tree.

The aura radiated danger. Wang Lin halted, Li Yuan stopping a pace behind.

Beneath the tree lay two sets of bones. One wore a coarse leather armor, etched with natural, fragmented patterns.

Upon seeing the armor, Wang Lin’s eyes widened in disbelief, a rare expression upon his face.

“This…”